Exploring national parks on foot is a great way to pass the time, but learning about their background can be just as entertaining. And at Rocky Mountain National Park, some upcoming programs will look into the park's past. 

This Saturday, at 7 p.m. at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, join a park ranger for Treacherous Treks: History of Longs Peak.  As the only “fourteener” in the park, Longs Peak challenges many people to reach its summit. From the early years of Native American stories of trapping eagles upon its summit and the first recorded ascent in 1868 by John Wesley Powell, Longs Peak continues to share stories of beauty and peril.  Many people have attempted to summit the 14,259-foot Longs Peak; some were successful, some were not.  Follow the treks of Enos Mills, Agnes Vaille and others up to the mightiest peak in the park through this program.

On Saturday, September 27, at 7 p.m. join Mary Taylor Young for Rocky Mountain National Park: The First 100 Years.  A century has passed since Rocky Mountain National Park was established in 1915.  But the story of any park with "Rocky Mountain" in its name begins not just a hundred years but a billion years ago.  Award-winning writer Mary Taylor Young tells the story of her new book.

These programs are free and open to the public.